When do you stop using car seats?

[LaserShark]

My eldest child is 8 in December and he is 137cm tall - not sure what he weighs. I’ve just checked the guidelines and see that after 135cm children can just use a seat belt, but will he still be safer in his high back booster? I don’t want to rush to take him out of a car seat but I wondered if when they get too tall they are safer in or out of one?

I think mine were around 140cm when I got rid of the boosters, lots on here though keep them in then until 150cm or bigger as I think that’s law in some other countries? Safer with than without though so if he’s happy in it then I would keep him in it.

There's a good 5 point test you can do to see if it is safe. Gold standard is 150cm/12 years old, as far as I aware.

Thanks, thats really helpful.

My 138cm 9 year old is still in a hbb.
He will be in it as long as possible - aiming for 150, but not sure we will get there.
No way at 7, imo.

As stargirl says. Once they can pass the 5 point test. Though some short adults can't pass it!

My eldest is 10 and 143cm. He has a HBB but prefers a booster cushion now. Its not ideal but his shoulders seem wedged into the HBB on its highest setting now

My DS is nearly 9 and 137cm - he's still in his HBB because the belt would not sit in the right place yet. I 'm hoping another year but his bum is getting tight in the seat.

At 5'3' I don't pass the above test as the seatbelt always cuts into my neck!

DD is 9yo and 140cm tall. She's getting pins and needles in her HBB because of the position of her legs on the seat base. Her shoulders are very nearly touching the top of the head bit too. As much as I don't want to admit it, but I think she's pretty much outgrown it. We have kept her in it as long as we can as I do believe it's safer although lots of her school friends don't use car seats, including those who are under 130cm!

My DS is 8 & we still use his high back booster. He's quite tall but haven't measured him recently. Some of the little charmers a couple of school years above him saw him getting out of the seat recently & were taking the proverbial out of him saying he's still in a baby seat & it seems that most kids his age aren't using booster seats. We do have a booster seat but he's so slim that I prefer using the high back.

I'm 5' 2 and I wouldn't pass most of those checks!

At 5'3' I don't pass the above test as the seatbelt always cuts into my neck!
Odiepants is that in the back of the car or the front?

It's interesting to me because at the same height 10yo dd does. She was 160cm at 9. So has been out of a HBB for a while. confirmed advanced bone age, before anyone pulls the her bones are still developing line.

• I think it must be dependant on the car. all of mine have always had adjustable height on front seatbelts.

Also those checks, where the seatbelt falls on your lap is dependant on the car, and where the anchoring points are. I'm 5,8" and in DH car, unless I put the seat right back, there isn't a chance in hell of it going across the laps of my thighs. My car does, but only because it's a 3dr so anchors to a bar not a fixed point.

Mine was until 150cm. That was around 11. end of primary

@boefmom
No, my son isn't particularly tall. I'd say he is about average.